Electric receptacle



Sept. 29, 1931. H. HUBBELL, JR

ELECTRIC RECEPTACLE Filed Feb. 6, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 29, 1931. H. HUBBELL, JR

ELECTRIC RECEPTACLE Filed Feb. 6, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 my m W. 4

I L ljthmtmlll I Patented Sept. 29, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFINCE ELECTRIC BEGEPTACLE Application filed February 6, 1929. Serial No. 337,840.

This invention relates to electric receptacles to receive the terminal contacts of attachment plug caps connected with electrical devices for supplying current to these devices, and has for an object to provide a receptacle so constructed as to facilitate plugging in of these caps, and in which a plurality of these caps may be plugged at one time and into a receptacle construction which requires no more space than a standard single gang receptacle.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a receptacle which has a pair of spaced slots for insertion of the blades of the attachment plug caps and in which the blades may be inserted at substantially any point throughout the extent of these slots, and also in which the slots are of sufficient length to receive at one time a plurality of these caps.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combinations and arrangements of parts as will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings. In these drawings,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a receptacle involving my invention constructed as a wall receptacle.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof showing three caps plugged into the receptacle.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the device.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section substantially on line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the receptacle contacts.

Fig. 6 is a bottom, edge view thereof.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a receptacle involving the principle of my invention constructed in the form of a plug to be plugged into a standard receptacle.

Fig. 8 is a front elevation thereof.

Fig. 9 is a rear elevation with the rear closing plate partly broken away.

Fig. 10 is a transverse section substantially on line 1010 of Fig. 8, and

Figs. 11 and 12 are side and edge elevations respectively of the receptacle contacts used. Referring first to Figs. 1 to 6 I have shown in these figures an improved wall receptacle involving the principles of my invention.

This device comprises a bod member 13 of insulating material and invol ves a face plate portion 14 and forwardly extending portion 15 of insulating material and preferably molded in one piece with the face plate portion 14. This forwardly extending portion 15 has an outwardly convexly curved surface 16 provided with a pair of spaced slots 17 to receive the blade contacts 18 of attachment plug caps 19. The face plate portion 14 is of a size to correspond with that of a standard single gang face plate, but by means of the curved wall 16 the surface can be made of such an extent as to be capable of receiving at one time three attachment plug caps 19. Therefore, with this arrangement I am enabled to provide a wall receptacle which will receive three caps at one time but which does not require a greater space than the standard single gang wall receptacle. The slots 17 are continuous and extend throughout substantially the length of the curved surface 16. The body portion is provided to the rear of these slots with chambers 20 substantially coextensive with the slots and to which the slots lead, and these chambers open through the rear of the body and face plate, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, to facilitate insertion of the receptacle contacts 21. These contacts are shown more clearly in Fig. 5 and are curved to correspond with the curvature of the front wall 16 so that as they are mounted in the chambers 20 they will lie throughout their lengths substantially the same distance to the rear of the slots for uniform engagement by the blade contacts 18. These contacts may be blanked from sheet metal and are transversely curved as shown to facilitate insertion of the blade contacts and to give more uniform contact. They are each provided with an extension 22 which has a lateral projecting lug 23 pierced at 24 to receive an eyelet 25 molded in the body member. In mounting the curved portion 21 is inserted in its chamber 20 and the lug 23 is placed over the eyelet 25 which; projects from the rear wall of the body. A binding post 26 is then inserted on the eyelet against the lug 23 and by rolling over the end of the eyelet, as shown at 27, the binding post andthe contact is secured to the body. The two contacts are the same so that they may be formed from a single set of dies and are merely reversed as they are'mounted in the. body. The binding post carries the usual binding screws 28 for attachment of the lead wires in the house system. The plate is provided with openings 29 spaced to correspond with thespacing of the securing screws of standard face plates so that the device may be mounted by these screws in a standard wall outlet box. The contacts 21 are made of resilient metal and are so mounted thatthey may yield as the cap is plugged in to give good electrical contact and also to insure that the blades will engage these contacts. As will be noted from Fig. 2 the outward extension 15 curved as shown, permits the construction of slots 17 and cooperating contacts 21 of sufficient length to receive at one time three standard attachment plug caps 19 without increasing the size of the face plate or increasing the space required in the wall outlet box over what is required by the standard single gang receptacle.

In Figs. 7 to 12, I have shown the principles of my invention as applied to a cap which may be plugged into a standard receptacle. In these figures a standard receptacle is indicated in dotted lines at 29 and the standard face plate at 30. The device comprises a body 31 made of insulating material having a straight rear wall 32 to rest against the face of a standard receptacle and a forward convexly curved wall 33 corresponding to the wall 16 of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 6. This wall is provided with parallel spaced slots 34 corresponding to the slots 17 in the first form and of substantially the same length. The front wall of the body 31 is curved substantially the same as that of Figs. 1 to 4. The body 31 is provided with chambers 35 opening through the rear wall thereof to receive the contacts 36 which are of substantially the same construction as contacts 21 of the first form and they are mount ed in the body 31 in the same manner. That is, they each have a lateral ear 37 adapted to rest against the rear wall of the body and pierced at 38 to receive the eyelet 39 molded in the body. Rearwardly extending contact blades 40 are provided with lateral feet 41 which are also pierced to receive these eyelets and rest against the ears 37, and by riveting over the ends 42 the blades 40 and the contacts 36 are mounted in the body. The contacts 36 are similarly curved to the wall 33 so as to lie a substantially uniform distance back of the slots 34 for their entire lengths to properly engage the blades of a standard attachment plug cap 19, the same as in the first form. The blades 40, however, correspond to the blades of a standard attachment plug cap, and, therefore, can be inserted in a standard receptacleto electrically connect the contacts 36 with the standard electrical contacts and thus with the house wiring systein. Therefore, with this device three standard attachment plug caps can be connected at one time with the house wiring system through a single standard receptacle. It is also much simpler to insert one of these standard caps in this receptacle due to the long slots than it is to plug it into a standard receptacle having slots only slightly larger than the blade contacts themselves.

The rear wall 32 of the body member 31 is preferably recessed, as shown at 43, and after the contacts are mounted this recess is closed by means of an insulating plate 44 of pressed fibre or other suitable material secured to the body by suitable securing means as one or more screws 45.

Having thus set forth the nature invention, what I claim is:

1. An electric receptacle comprising, a body of insulating material having a pair of spaced elongated chambers opening through the rear wall thereof, said body being provided in its front wall with a pair of elongated slots leading to said chambers and of sufficient length to receive the terminal contacts of a plurality of attachment plug caps at one time, a receptacle contact in each chamber adapted to be inserted through the rear of my wall openings and substantially coextensive ceptacle contacts mounted to the rear of said slots and substantially coextensive therewith, and means for connecting lead wires to said receptacle contacts.

3. An electric receptacle comprising, a body member of insulating material including a face plate of sufficient size to cover a standard single gang wall outlet box, said body including a forwardly extending portion at the front of the face plate provided with a convexly curved surface having a pair of spaced slots to receive the blade contacts of a plurality of attachment plug caps, receptacle contacts mounted to the rear of said slots to engage the blade contacts, and means for connecting lead wires to-the receptacle contacts.

4. An electric receptacle comprising, a body member of insulating material including a face plate of sufficient size to cover a standard single gang wall outlet box, said body including a forwardly extending portion at the front of the face plate provided with a convexly curved surface having a pair of spaced slots to receive the blade contacts of a plurality of attachment plug caps, similar curved receptacle contacts mounted in the body to the rear of said slots and substantially coextensive therewith, and means for connecting lead Wires to said receptacle contacts.

5. An electric receptacle comprising, a face plate of sufficient size to cover a standard wall outlet box, a wall of insulating material extending forwardly from the front of said face plate and having a convexly curved outer surface provided with a pair of spaced slots of sufficient length to receive the blade contacts of a plurality of attachment plug caps at one tlme, similarly curved receptacle contacts mou ited in the rear of said slots and substantially coextensive therewith, and' means for securing lead wires to the receptacle contacts.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HARVEY HUBBELL, JR. 

